Prominent Spanish politician involved in corruption case passes away

Spanish senator and former mayor of Valencia Rita Barbera passed away after suffering from a heart attack on Wednesday morning, whilst under investigation for corruption charges.

Barbera, who faced the Supreme Court on Monday over allegations that she laundered money for the Popular Party in the eastern region of Valencia, received emergency medical care at a hotel in Madrid but was confirmed dead less than an hour after paramedics arrived.

She had been investigated since September after dozens of her associates from the areas of Valencia, Castellon and Alicante were arrested in January.

Barbera's PP held an absolute majority in Valencia for decades, before losing it in elections which took place in May 2015.

She won five consecutive elections as mayor between 1995 and 2011, and oversaw the construction of a variety of new cultural inititatives, including the City of Arts and Sciences complex, which has become one of the main tourist attractions to the city.

There was a minute's silence held in the Spanish parliament session on Wednesday, but the sympathetic response to Barbera's death was far from whole.

Left-wing outfit Podemos' representatives left the chamber as the minute of silence began, and leader Pablo Iglesias later tweeted that his party could not participate in the gesture.

"We regret the death of Barbera but we cannot participate in a political tribute to someone whose legacy is marred by corruption," Iglesias said.